How to promote your food brand with bloggers

This week’s post is a guest blog from Deepa, she writes the Food Mela blog, specialising in Indian food and baking, she has some great tips for promoting your food brand via bloggers.

You’ve come up with the world’s best gin, or the most melt-in-the-mouth caramels. So what next? You’ve mastered a wonderful culinary creation, now it is time to tell people about it!

Events like Grub Club are a way to meet business owners or find stockists but they’re also a great way to kick start marketing by meeting bloggers.

Wherever you are in the country, or the world, there will be a fantastic network of bloggers covering food, lifestyle, parenting, travel, tech and many other topics.

Bloggers are all over the world, but one of the things they are fantastic for is making local, niche connections that are directly relevant to your business. Many food bloggers in particular write passionately about what the eat and cook and they may know the ins and outs of the local food scene better than you. After all aren’t they always the ones that discover the newest places to eat?

Brands, not just the ones in the food industry, are finding that working with bloggers on a professional level can be a really rewarding experience, which is easy to access and super-relevant to your target market.

So how can you work with them and why should you?

Why work with bloggers?

Authenticity – The reason blogging has taken off in such a way is because it is authentic – real people and opinions, rather than the airbrushed world of printed press and advertising. Their readers are keen to see what the newest restaurant in the area is like, how a recipe for a homemade cake turns out and how a product can fit into their lives. There is a sense of trust provided by good quality, well-written blogs.

Local connections – Starting in your local area is a great way to test the market for your product, and bloggers are amongst the most well-connected when it comes to the local area. They’ll be able to tell you where the best delis and shops are who’d stock your food and what people in the area are crying out for. Building up a relationship with a few local bloggers is a fantastic way to learn more about what people really want, and which events are happening that you could be involved in.

Low cost – This might be a little bit controversial amongst some, but it is a fact that working with bloggers is cheaper than taking out advertising or a press campaign with PR agency. You should combine blogger outreach with other techniques like advertising, social media and PR, but bloggers are a great place to start. Build a list of local bloggers and work with them on an individual basis to build a campaign around your product or business.

How to work with food and lifestyle bloggers

A personal approach is the best way to work with bloggers, and certainly one that I appreciate. Many bloggers are put off by overly salesy messages and press releases but do appreciate a brand or agency getting in touch to plan a post or campaign with them.

Make a list of relevant bloggers, whether that is local or national, and think about what you can offer them in return for coverage on their blog. This might be an invite to a launch event, a product sample or invitation to review your restaurant or cafe, do what suits your budget and your business best. Be prepared to be flexible, as bloggers are as unique as your product.

Ask for basic statistics to verify their traffic levels, and do check out their social media profiles to ensure they have a good audience that will hear about your product. This is also a good opportunity to engage with them in a more general way too, and get to know them.

As you work with bloggers more, and get to know them personally, you’ll learn about what makes your favourite bloggers tick and can plan campaigns around blogger outreach. Blogger outreach is a great way to market your business, and I’m not just saying that because I blog (!), and especially good for fledgling independent businesses.

Remember to pop on over to Deepa’s blog – Food Mela